Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0 ERNEST GALVAN (CA Bar No. 0)* KENNETH M. WALCZAK (CA Bar No. )* ROSEN, BIEN & GALVAN, LLP Montgomery Street, 0th Floor San Francisco, California 0- Telephone: () -0 Facsimile: () -0 Email: kwalczak@rbg-law.com LANCE WEBER (NH Bar No. )* HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE CENTER P. O. Box 0 Brattleboro, VT 00 Telephone: (0) -0 Facsimile: () - Email: lweber@humanrightsdefensecenter.org DANIEL J. POCHODA (AZ Bar. No. 0) ACLU FOUNDATION OF ARIZONA 0 North th Street, Suite Phoenix, Arizona 0 Telephone: (0) 0- Facsimile: (0) 0- Email: dpochoda@acluaz.org * Pro Hac Vice Applications to be filed Attorneys for Plaintiff Prison Legal News PRISON LEGAL NEWS, a project of the HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE CENTER, v. Plaintiff, PAUL BABEU, individually and in his official capacity as Sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona; PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA; DOES -0 in their individual capacities, Defendants. IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA Case No. COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF FOR VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND DUE PROCESS OF LAW AND VIOLATIONS OF THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION JURY TRIAL DEMANDED [ COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0 COMES NOW Plaintiff PRISON LEGAL NEWS, a project of the Washington nonprofit corporation HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE CENTER, and for its complaint against Defendants PAUL BABEU, individually and in his official capacity as Sheriff of Pinal County; PINAL COUNTY, and DOES -0, inclusive, in their individual capacities, alleges as follows: INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. Plaintiff PRISON LEGAL NEWS ( PLN ), a project of the Washington nonprofit HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE CENTER ( HRDC ), brings this action pursuant to U.S.C. ( Section ) and the Arizona Constitution, to redress the harm caused by Defendants censorship of its monthly publication and correspondence mailed to Pinal County prisoners.. Defendants have adopted and implemented mail policies and practices that unconstitutionally restrict the right to free expression held by PLN and its subscribers, and protected by the United States and Arizona Constitutions. Defendants have adopted and implemented mail policies and practices that unconstitutionally prohibit delivery to prisoners of all magazines, hardcover books, and letters of more than one page in length.. On dozens of occasions, Defendants have prohibited subscribers and correspondents from receiving mail sent by PLN. Defendants have undertaken this blanket suppression of speech without any reference to or justification in, safety concerns or any other correctional necessity.. Defendants policies and practices do not provide constitutionally adequate due process protections to senders of mail, such as notice of the Defendants decision to censor mail and an opportunity to challenge the censorship.. Defendants actions therefore violate PLN s rights to freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of association under the First Amendment and its right to due process of law and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0 States Constitution, and PLN s rights under Article II, Sections and of the Arizona Constitution. Plaintiff seeks damages in an amount to be proved at trial, and injunctive and declaratory relief, pursuant to U.S.C.. DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL. Plaintiff respectfully demands a jury trial on all causes of action set forth herein. JURISDICTION AND VENUE. This action arises under U.S.C., which provides for recovery of damages for violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and under the Arizona Constitution. This Court has jurisdiction, including diversity jurisdiction, over this action under U.S.C., and. This Court has supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff s state law claims pursuant to U.S.C.. This Court is authorized to grant declaratory relief pursuant to U.S.C. 0 and 0 and Fed. R. Civ. P., and is further empowered to grant injunctive relief pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P... Venue is proper in the District of Arizona under U.S.C. (b) because the Defendants reside in and a substantial part of the events complained of occurred in this District. PARTIES. Plaintiff PRISON LEGAL NEWS is a project of the Human Rights Defense Center, a Washington non-profit corporation. 0. For the past years, the core of PLN s mission has been public education, advocacy and outreach in support of the rights of prisoners and in furtherance of basic human rights. PLN maintains a website, operates an email list, publishes and distributes books about the criminal justice system and legal issues affecting prisoners, and publishes and distributes a monthly journal of corrections news and analysis, Prison Legal News, to COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0 prisoners, lawyers, courts, libraries, and the public throughout the country. Prisoners, their family, friends and advocates are among the intended beneficiaries of PLN s activities.. Defendant PINAL COUNTY is a municipal corporation formed under the laws of the State of Arizona.. Defendant PAUL BABEU is the Sheriff of Pinal County. Sheriff Babeu is employed by and is an agent of Pinal County and the Pinal County Sheriff s Department. As the Sheriff, he is the final decision maker for Pinal County for jail operations, practices, and policies. He is sued in his individual and official capacities and was acting under color of state law at all times relevant hereto.. Defendants DOES through 0 are all employed by and are agents of Pinal County and the Pinal County Sheriff s Department and were each acting under color of state law at all times relevant hereto. They are sued in their individual capacities. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS. Prison Legal News ( PLN ) publishes and distributes Prison Legal News, a monthly journal of corrections news and analysis regarding prisoners rights, court rulings, management of prison and jail facilities and conditions of confinement. PLN also distributes books about the criminal justice system and legal issues affecting prisoners.. PLN engages in core protected political speech and expressive conduct on matters of public concern.. PLN has approximately,000 subscribers throughout the United States and abroad, including prisoners, pre-trial detainees, attorneys, journalists, public libraries, judges, and other members of the public.. Defendants have written, instituted and implemented policies at the Pinal County Jail that prohibit delivery to prisoners of all magazines, hardcover books, and letters of more than one page. COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0. As of August, 0, the Frequently Asked Questions page of the Pinal County Jail website reads, in pertinent part: See How do I send mail to an inmate? You may send post cards no larger than X mailed via United States Postal Service Only. Magazines of any kind or hard cover books are not permitted, however paperback books (limited to ) may be sent via a publisher or publishing company only using the address listed. http://pinalcountyaz.gov/departments/sheriff/adultdetentioncenter/pa ges/faq.aspx#00-0-%00:: (last accessed //).. Pursuant to this and other policies, Defendants have improperly and illegally censored PLN s publications, books, brochures, and other correspondence sent to prisoners at the Pinal County Jail. Defendants have improperly and illegally refused to deliver paperback copies of the publication Protecting your Health and Safety, sent by PLN to prisoners at the Pinal County Jail. 0. Since at least February 0 and continuing to the present day, Defendants have censored at least three different types of publications distributed by PLN: the monthly publication Prison Legal News and subscription notices for said publication; PLN s Informational Brochure Pack and individual brochures contained therein (including a Prison Legal News Brochure and Subscription Order Form, a Book List, and an Educational Courses Brochure); and the paperback book Protecting Your Health and Safety. The censorship took the form of failing to deliver the mailed material to the addressee. COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0 (a) Prison Legal News: This is PLN s monthly journal of corrections news and analysis regarding prisoners rights, court rulings, management of prison and jail facilities and conditions of confinement. (b) Informational Brochure Pack: This includes items: () a Prison Legal News subscription order form and brochure about the topics covered in PLN s monthly magazine and a description of three books available for purchase or included with a subscription (Protecting Your Health & Safety, With Liberty for Some: 00 Years of Imprisonment in America, and Prison Profiteers: Who Makes Money from Mass Incarceration); () a book list including a description of dictionaries, resource materials and books available for purchase, with information about a variety of topics, including: the basic health and safety rights of prisoners, the criminal justice system, finding the right lawyer, DNA testing, issues related to imprisoned women, self-representation in court, developing a successful re-entry plan upon release from prison, searching for a job, crime and poverty, and the mental health crisis in U.S. prisons and jails; and () an educational courses brochure including detailed information about and an order form for a book on high school, vocational, paralegal, undergraduate, and graduate courses available through correspondence study, as well as detailed information about and an order form for a book on ineffective assistance of counsel and habeas corpus litigation. (c) Protecting Your Health and Safety: This book, published by the Southern Poverty Law Center and distributed by PLN, is an easy to read, plain language guide prisoners can use to identify and litigate federal civil rights claims against prison officials. Despite the language on the Pinal County Jail website suggesting that paperback books may be sent, Defendants prohibited delivery of the paperback edition of this book on numerous occasions.. As described below, Defendants have censored materials from PLN on at least occasions from February 0 to the present. COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0. The methods by which Defendants have censored PLN publications being sent to prisoners held in custody in the Pinal County Jail ( Jail ) include refusing to deliver said items to the prisoners and/or returning items to PLN s offices via the Return To Sender ( RTS ) service of the United States Postal Service.. When Defendants have censored and returned PLN s mailings, Defendants have often have often drawn a red line through the addressee information on the mailings, marking the outside of various items with red pen notations of RTS, and writing the words NOT ALLOWED, ONLY PAGE LETTERS ALLOWED, or NOT FROM AN APPROVED PUBLISHER near the recipient s address.. From February to June 0, PLN sent a sample issue of Prison Legal News, in a manila envelope via first-class mail, to each of more than 0 prisoners. During the same period, PLN sent the same prisoners copies of the informational brochure pack, under separate cover in a standard #0 sized envelope via first-class mail. During the same period, PLN sent the same prisoners a new copy of the paperback book Protecting Your Health & Safety via Media Mail. All items were addressed to specific, individual inmates using the format: [Inmate Name] [Inmate Number] Pinal County Jail P.O. Box 0 Florence, AZ All items bore a return address of: Prison Legal News PO Box 0 W. Brattleboro, VT 00. COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0. Beginning in February 0 and monthly thereafter, PLN has sent current issues of Prison Legal News directly from its printer addressed individually to several individual prisoners in Defendants custody.. As a result of Defendants policies and practices, this mail was not received by its intended recipients at the Pinal County Jail.. In April and June 0, counsel for PLN sent single-page letters to more than 0 prisoners in Defendants custody, listing the items that had been mailed under separate cover, and asking for confirmation of your receipt of these three () items which have all been mailed separately. If you have not received all three of the items mentioned above within the next few weeks, please write to us and let us know.. At least of these prisoners wrote back via postcards, to say that they had not received any correspondence other than the letter from PLN s counsel. No letters or postcards were received from any prisoner in Pinal County Jail confirming his or her receipt of a sample issue of Prison Legal News, the informational brochure pack, or Protecting Your Health and Safety.. To date, PLN has received returns of at least: 0 issues of Prison Legal News marked RTS not allowed or Refused ; paperback copies of Protecting Your Health and Safety marked RTS or RTS not allowed or RTS not from an approved publisher ; envelopes containing the informational brochure pack, marked RTS only page letters allowed or RTS not allowed or RTS only a page letter allowed; and letters related to subscription renewal or cancellations, marked RTS not allowed. 0. Defendants did not provide Plaintiff with constitutionally adequate notice nor with any opportunity to appeal the decision to censor or exclude any of its correspondence or publications.. Defendants conduct prohibiting PLN from mailing its publications, informational brochures, books, and subscription renewal letters to prisoners confined at COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0 the Jail violates the First Amendment by censoring these expressive activities and has a chilling effect on future speech and expression directed at prisoners confined there.. Defendants policy governing incoming mail does not provide notice or an opportunity for the sender or the intended recipient to appeal the Jail s censorship decisions.. In adopting and implementing the above censorship policies, Defendants have knowingly violated, continue to violate, and are reasonably expected to violate in the future, PLN s constitutional rights, and have caused PLN serious and irreparable harm including, but not limited to: suppression of its political message, frustration of its organizational mission, lost ability to recruit new supporters, subscribers and writers, lost subscriptions, lost opportunities for purchases and sales of its publications, lost opportunities for book sales, and diversion of its resources. Absent intervention by this Court these actions will continue and PLN will be subjected to the same irreparable and serious injuries.. The above violations of PLN s rights and the harms to PLN were caused by mail and censorship policies adopted or approved by Defendant BABEU in his capacity as Sheriff of Pinal County.. Defendants BABEU, DOES -0 and other agents of the County of Pinal are responsible for or personally participated in, creating and implementing these unconstitutional mail and censorship policies, practices, and customs, and for training and supervising the mail staff at the Pinal County Jail who carry out these policies and whose conduct has injured and continues to injure PLN.. Defendants unconstitutional policy, practices, and customs are ongoing and continue to violate PLN s rights, and as such PLN has no adequate remedy at law.. PLN is entitled to injunctive relief prohibiting Defendants from refusing to deliver or refusing to allow delivery of publications, books, informational brochures and COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page 0 of 0 0 catalogs, and other correspondence from Prison Legal News, and prohibiting Defendants from censoring mail without due process of law. CLAIMS FOR RELIEF FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF (For Violations of the First Amendment, As Incorporated Through the Fourteenth Amendment, Under Color Of State Law Free Speech; Section ). Plaintiff realleges and incorporates by reference the preceding paragraphs.. The acts described above constitute violations of Plaintiff s rights to freedom of the press, to freedom of speech, and Plaintiff s right to be free of government censorship, under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution through U.S.C., and have caused damages to Plaintiff, and will continue to cause damage. 0. Plaintiff seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and compensatory damages against all Defendants. Plaintiff also seeks punitive damages solely against the individual Defendants. SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF (For Violations of Article, Section of the Arizona Constitution Under Color of State Law). Plaintiff realleges and incorporates by reference the preceding paragraphs.. The censorship policies and practices complained of herein violate Plaintiff s right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article, Section of the Arizona Constitution.. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants conduct in violation of Plaintiff s rights under the Arizona Constitution as set forth above, Plaintiff has suffered, and continues to suffer, damages. THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF (For Violations of Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause Under Color of State Law, Actionable Through U.S.C. ). Plaintiff realleges and incorporates by reference the preceding paragraphs. COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0. By failing to give Plaintiff sufficient notice of the censorship of its publications, and an opportunity to be heard with respect to that censorship, Defendants have deprived and continue to deprive Plaintiff of liberty and property without due process of law, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution through U.S.C... As a direct and proximate result of Defendants conduct in violation of Plaintiff s rights as set forth above, Plaintiff has suffered, and continues to suffer, damages. FOURTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF (For Violations of the Due Process Clause in Article, Section of the Arizona Constitution). Plaintiff realleges and incorporates by reference the preceding paragraphs.. By failing to give Plaintiff sufficient notice of the censorship of its publications, and an opportunity to be heard with respect to that censorship, Defendants have deprived and continue to deprive Plaintiff of liberty and property without due process of law, in violation of the Article, Section of the Arizona Constitution, and have caused damage to Plaintiff, and will continue to cause damage.. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants conduct as set forth above, Plaintiff has suffered, and continues to suffer damage. 0. As a result of the conduct of Defendants, Plaintiff seeks declaratory and injunctive relief against all Defendants. DAMAGES. Plaintiff realleges and incorporates by reference the preceding paragraphs.. As a direct and proximate result of the infringement of Plaintiff s rights in each of the above claims for relief, Plaintiff sustained and continues to sustain substantial injuries including but not limited to: suppression of its political message, frustration of its organizational mission, lost ability to recruit new supporters, subscribers and writers, 0 COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0 diversion of resources, lost business income, lost business goodwill, and a chilling effect on future exercise of Plaintiff s rights. Plaintiff is entitled to compensation for the harms resulting from the unconstitutional and illegal acts by Defendants.. As set forth above, the individual Defendants actions demonstrated a reckless disregard for the rights and interests of Plaintiff. On information and belief, Defendants will continue to act in this manner absent legal deterrents. Exemplary damages are required as punishment and to deter Defendants from repeating these harmful and illegal acts in the future. PRAYER FOR RELIEF The conduct previously alleged, unless and until enjoined by order of this Court, will cause great and irreparable injury to Plaintiff. Further, a judicial declaration is necessary and appropriate at this time so that all parties may know their respective rights and act accordingly. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for judgment as follows:. A declaration that Defendants policies, practices, and customs violate the United States and Arizona Constitutions as set forth herein;. A preliminary and permanent injunction preventing Defendants and their employees, agents, and any and all persons acting in concert with them from continuing to violate the United States and Arizona Constitutions;. An order awarding compensatory and punitive damages in amounts to be proven at trial for each incident that violated Plaintiff s rights;. An order awarding Plaintiff its reasonable attorney s fees, litigation expenses and costs under U.S.C., under the Arizona private attorney general doctrine, as recognized in Arnold v. Arizona Dept. of Health Services, P.d (Ariz. ), and any other applicable law; and COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.
Case :-cv-0-gms Document Filed 0/0/ Page of 0 0. Such other relief as the Court deems just and proper. PLAINTIFF DEMANDS A JURY TRIAL. DATED: September, 0 Respectfully submitted, By /s/ Daniel J. Pochoda Daniel J. Pochoda ACLU FOUNDATION OF ARIZONA 0 North th Street, Suite Phoenix, Arizona 0 Attorneys for Plaintiff Prison Legal News COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES AND DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF VIOLATIONS OF U.S.C. AND THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION - CASE NO.